Radioactive materials and radiation sources can be detected with radiation detectors, commonly scintillation detectors. Scintillation detection requires a special material, a scintillator, that luminesces when excited by radiation. Scintillators may be used in solid or liquid form. Only particular compositions, generally aromatic hydrocarbons, are scintillators in liquid form.
Detection of weak radiation sources (e.g., infrequent radiation events) and/or distant radiation sources generally requires large scintillation detectors for effective detection. Large detectors may be expensive, difficult to build, and/or difficult to move. Additionally, liquid scintillators may include large fractions of undesirable materials.
Hence, there is a need for systems and methods for radiation monitoring that economically may detect weak and/or distant sources and/or do so with less exotic and/or undesirable materials.